With U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,911, a two piece hanging device for tools became known, specifically for ratchets, whereby the first piece consists of a suspension attachment secured to a base plate with a hollow, cube-shaped receiver for engagement into the ratchet side opening of a hexagon socket. The second piece is composed of a base plate, and secured to it, a cuboid piece with a catch projection, whereby this second piece engages into the hexagon hole and is supported at the bottom there with the base plate, engages in the hollow space of the cube-shaped part of the first piece and catches with the catch projection on the first piece. Thus, the tool is penetrated from both sides by the first and the second piece of the holding device and both pieces catch separably. The disadvantage of this design form is that two different pieces are required which are relatively expensive in design, bear considerable weight and are difficult to disassemble.
Exhibiting two pieces as well, is the holding device as per U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,519 whereby there, secured to a holding strap is a tongue with an undercut which, like a catch spring, engages into the actual receiver for the tool, whereby the receiver exhibits additional catch knobs for catching into the corresponding opening of the tool. Once again, the disadvantage here is that two different pieces exist, exhibiting relatively complex shapes, and a secure hold of the tool is not ensured because relatively few catch knobs are available on the receiver for catching in the opening of the tool which for the purpose of a secure hold must exactly catch into the corresponding recesses in the opening of the tool.
With U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,571, a holder for socket wrenches also became known in which disc shaped receiving lamina are set up along a receiving strip by clamping down onto corresponding bases. The socket wrenches are then set up on these receiving lamina by their opening intended for the tool holder. These receiving lamina are respectively divided into two halves, springing elastically toward one another, by a slit into which the base of the receiving strip catches for support. Owing to the elastic shape alteration of this receiving lamina inside the opening on the side of the socket wrench, the tool is secured by the squeezing effect. Once again, the disadvantage here is a design with several parts and likewise, no secure hold is ensured because there is no catch between the holding element and the tool, but rather simply frictionally engaged sticking, and furthermore these receiving lamina do not exhibit any reliable stability.
With U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,725,107 and 5,715,951, a three piece holding element for tools became known which is comprised of a hanging strap, a gripping element with a hand lever and a support strip. Initially, the slit gripping element is reshaped elastically by a hand lever such that it can catch into a corresponding opening in the tool and spread itself in there by frictionally engaged support, whereby the gripping component is introduced into a receiving strip in order to secure this frictionally engaged contact. Once again, the disadvantage here is the complicated, multiple piece design and no secure hold is ensured due to the frictionally engaged sticking.
With U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,230, a one piece holding device for tools became known, which is in fact produced with three separate parts bonded together, more specifically a base plate, a cover plate with boreholes and an intermediate layer with support stubs which penetrate through the holes on the cover plate. The support elements can be designed to spring and have just a few catch projections on their upper free extremity or just a few catch edges running in a circle along the cover of a cylinder. The disadvantage here is once again, that although the design is of one piece, it must be manufactured from three pieces in a complex manner (bonded together) and because of this, the entire construction is relatively expensive and accordingly, the weight is relatively high as well. Another disadvantage here, is that either a frictionally engaged contact exists or the catch elements must exactly engage in the corresponding grooves in the tool openings for which a secure hold is not ensured here. Furthermore, in the event one of these catch projections breaks off, the holding device can become detached. A hanging strap is not provided here.
A very simple holding device for tools with square drive holes is also known whereby here, a holding strap is simply secured to a receiving cube exhibiting corresponding catch projections on its lateral surface which engage and catch into the grooves inside the opening of the tool. The one-piece design of this holding device makes it economical and easy to produce, however a secure catch between the receiving part and the tool is only possible to a limited extent, because the catch projections of the holding device must catch exactly aligned with the notches on the tool and also, if a catch projection breaks, support is no longer ensured.
Therefore, it is the task of this invention to further develop the above described state of technology of the holding device for hanging up tools such that the holding device is now easy and inexpensive to develop, yet in spite of this, it ensures stable and reliable support for the tool even in the event of a partial defect in the holding device. This holding device is intended to easily adapt to and be removed from the tool and can be used more than just once.